- Facts on Fats Nutritional recommendations on fatty acids
The margarine industry is committed to the promotion of good health. This includes promoting education and
awareness on nutrition. Part of our role is to spread objective information and facts about fats so that
consumers can better control the quality of their intake.
Our present factsheet sums up the main dietary recommendations on fatty acids in Europe.
Why do we need fats in our diets?
In a healthy balanced diet, the energy that you
consume needs to be balanced with the energy
that you use for normal body functions and your
physical exercise. Based on decades of research,
the World Health Organization recommends
that adults should derive from 20% up to 3035% of their daily energy (calories) from fats
(1). Besides being a source of energy, fat
provides essential building blocks for the cells in
the body, is a carrier for fat-soluble vitamins A,
D, E and K and contains essential fatty acids
(omega 3 and omega 6). It also makes food
taste good, look good and feel good! We need
to eat a reasonable amount of fat every day to
stay healthy.
Less saturated fat and more polyunsaturated
fat!
The key is to take the right quantity and to
optimize the quality of fat. The type and
amount of fat you choose has an important
impact on your health. For example,
inappropriate energy balance (i.e. energy
consumption versus energy expenditure) can
lead to weight gain or loss, while choices
relating to the type of fat consumed (e.g.
saturated versus unsaturated fat) can increase
risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.
It is for these reasons that dietary
recommendations, such as those of the
WHO/FAO (World Health Organisation / Food
and Agriculture Organisation) [1] and EFSA
(European Food Safety Authority) [2], point
Recommendations throughout Europe
“Fatty fish, nuts and seeds, vegetable oils, and vegetable oilbased fat spreads that provide essential and unsaturated fatty
acids should be prioritized. Animal products high in fat
contribute saturated fatty acids. A switch from high-fat to lowfat dairy will contribute to an improved fat quality while
sustaining micronutrient density.”
Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2012 (3)
“There is also evidence from dietary intervention studies that
decreasing the intakes of products rich in saturated fatty acids
by replacement with products rich in n-6 polyunsaturated fatty
acids (without changing total fat intake) decreased the number
of cardiovascular events.”
EFSA, Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for fats,
2010 (2)
“Fett ist besonders energiereich, daher kann zu viel
Nahrungsfett Übergewicht fördern. Zu viele gesättigte
Fettsäuren erhöhen das Risiko für Fettstoffwechselstörungen,
mit der möglichen Folge von Herz-Kreisauf-Krankheiten.
Bevorzugen Sie pflanzliche Öle und Fette (z. B. Raps- und Sojaöl
und daraus hergestellte Streichfette).”
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung, 10 Regel der DGE, 2011 (4)
“Eating unsaturated fats instead of saturated can help lower
blood cholesterol.”
NHS, Fats: the facts, 2013 (5)
“Onverzadigd vet heeft een positief effect op de gezondheid.
Producten met veel verzadigd vet zijn minder gezond. Het is
dus belangrijk om deze twee soorten te herkennen.”
Voedingscentrum, Schijf van vijf (6)
“Certains produits sont à limiter dans la mesure du possible : le
beurre, certaines charcuteries, les viennoiseries et pâtisseries,
les produits frits ou panés, certains plats préparés… qui
contiennent notamment des acides gras saturés. »
PNNS, les 9 repères (7)
towards diets that moderate fat intake, replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats and reduce as much
as possible trans fatty acid intake.
Knowing about the different types of fats and being able to identify them is the first step to a healthy diet!
I don’t eat nutrients, I eat food! What is recommended?
The Dutch Food Center (Voedingscentrum) [6] provides a very simple tip
to keep in mind when shopping and cooking: the softer, the better! The
harder a fat is, the more saturated fats it contains. Similarly, the softer it
is, the more unsaturated fats it has. This is why cooking with liquid
vegetable oils is healthier than with a wrapped-up butter. The same goes
for spreading your bread!
There is also what we call “hidden fats” because they are in food products we consume, such as meat,
biscuits, ready-made meals, cakes, etc. In this case, it is important to carefully read the nutritional labels and
pay attention to the overall amount of fat and the share of saturated fats in the product.
To learn more about the different types of fatty acids and the role of fats in the diet, you can watch this
informative video made by Food Insight. You can also read IMACE’s Facts on Fats brochure.
References
1.
Diet, nutrition, and the prevention of chronic diseases. Report of a joint WHO/FAO expert consultation,
2002 (WHO Report Technical Series 916)
2.
EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products N and A (NDA) (2010) Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for
fats, including saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, trans
fatty acids, and cholesterol. EFSA Journal 8: 1461. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1461.
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/scdocs/doc/s1461.pdf
3.
Nordic Nutrition recommendations 2012, Part 1. Summary, principles and use. ISBN 978-92-893-2629-2
http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/Nord2013-009
4.
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Eernährung, Vollwertig essen und trinken nach den 10 Regeln der DGE,
http://www.dge.de/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=15
5.
NHS, Fats: the facts. http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/Fat.aspx
6.
Voedingscentrum, Schijf
verzadigd-vet.aspx
7.
Manger
Bouger.
Programme
National
Nutrition
Santé.
Les
9
repères.
http://www.mangerbouger.fr/bien-manger/que-veut-dire-bien-manger-127/les-9-reperes/matieresgrasses-a-limiter.html
van
vijf.
http://www.voedingscentrum.nl/nl/schijf-van-vijf/eet-minder-